Books you’re dying to read, but are too scared to…

This is a different kind of “recommendations” list. Or… maybe a TBR list? Of books we are dying to read, but too scared to (for whatever reason, taboo, too scary, too sad… you get the picture).

I posted this on Facebook late last night and already have a ton of awesome book suggestions that have some of us too antsy to jump in, and yet those of us that HAVE read ‘em are here to help! LOL!

I’ll start! Mine would be “Tampa” (it sounds too crazy and taboo and disturbing and so many er… “loved’ it, or enjoyed being psyched-out by it, but I’m scared). Also “The Empty Jar” ’cause I hear it’s ugly-crying from start to finish. My poor heart.

Jacqueline: Me Before You: A Novel, I just don’t think my heart can take the sadness. It stares at me from my kindle home screen, lol!
Also, I was scared to start Mud Vein but I recently finished it. That was lovely, and terrible, and moving

Maryse’s Book Blog: Both books that I absolutely LOVED!!!! (my review of Me Before You and my review of Mud Vein)

Niki: You MUST read Me Before You! I held off on it for awhile because I don’t do sad books or sad movies, but this one is totally, totally, undeniably worth the ugly-crying!!!

Lauren: I agree, I’m afraid to read Me Before You even though it’s been on my TBR list for a while…

Jill: It was worth evry single tear

Suanne: Me Before You. It’s so hyped up right now, I’ll hold off. I’m always a decade behind the times anyway. I didn’t read Harry Potter until this year and I just started Game of Thrones.

Tracey: After You: A Novel the sequel to Me before You I haven’t the guts to read it …I’d like to but nope my finger hovers over the purchase button but the pure terrified chicken in me hauls back the finger …maybe on next week /year

Kelley: It is good! Don’t be scared. All the characters end up getting nice closure.

Kim: LOL!!! I’m only 30% in The Empty Jar and I’ve been crying since the get go

Jo: The empty jar- 12% and gut wrenching already. But I shall be brave

Maryse’s Book Blog: EXACTLY!!!! But I hear it is SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!

Kim: It really is beautiful!!

Lauren: It got a 4.69 on Goodreads. I’ve just purchased it and added it to my TBR list! This is why I love Maryse’s Book Blog – I learn about great books that I would never have known about.

Meagan: Forbidden! I’ve owned it awhile now, but haven’t read it yet! I don’t even know why, possibly cause I know it will break my heart

Maryse’s Book Blog: I also loved this one but, I too, was scared to read it. (my review)

Lauren: Forbidden was one of those books that I couldn’t put down, it wrapped you up, chewed you up and spit you out. It’s worth the read but I hated the ending. Don’t be afraid of it because it’s a taboo subject because it really is beautiful and readers always root for love to win.

Kat: Arsen. A broken love story & The Ground Rules reading about cheating twist all my vital organs. And so many books that are ‘hyped’ up and loved loved. Like Making Faces I desperately want to read it but am worried I’ll be disappointed. Like Me Before You, yes it was enjoyable, no I didn’t cry, but I knew where is was going from the first chapter. To me it just wasn’t as amazing as everyone is saying.

Lauren: Arsen was amazing, absolutely you should read it. Ground rules was good, not great and ends kind of with a cliff hanger but it didn’t make me want to read the second book right away. Still sitting in my TBR list. I’ll get around to it. But definitely read Arsen. You won’t regret it.

Kat: Thanks Lauren! When I get to it I’ll let you know what I think. I’m even taking a screen shot so I don’t forget

Tanya: You have to read Making Faces! Beautiful story! 5 star read for me. Loved it!!

Rebecca: I don’t remember the name but it is a new one you posted this week and said you wouldn’t be able to read it. So, when I read the synopsis my heart cracked and I got choked up and thought ummmmm NOPE! That sounds like my worst nightmare! (Husband dies and then dog does too- NO. THANK. YOU) I would have to be medicated to read it.

Maryse: Ahhhhh yes that was Odin’s Swan Song by Jaime Loughran. GAH!! No i won’t be able to. I just can’t.

Angie: Yours Always by Rhonda R. Dennis. I just know this book is going to break my heart!

Cassie: Alissa Nutting. The book cover was super graphic, they had to make it all black.

Lauren: I read Tampa and it was terrible. The taboo part of the story wasn’t what made it bad it was the writing and the protagonist is annoying. The best thing about the book is the cover art – well played. But I say don’t waste your time.

Sadie: So many of these books listed are favorites of mine – me before you, fault in our stars, forbidden, mud vein, how to kill a rock star, bronze horseman… Not sure what that says about me. I also liked Tampa!

Maryse: LOL Sadie!! I was just thinking, I have a review for almost all of these and I LOVED them all. You ‘n me… birds of a feather. ‘Cept I’m a-scared of Tampa!

Lisa: I think you would be ok. If memory serves, no actual abuse was talked about in detail. It was more the aftermath…like what the dogs have become after trauma. Like one dog hides in the back of his kennel. It’s been awhile but I don’t remember anything graphic that upset me.

Sharon: Thank you.

Katarzyna: The Life of Anna series by Marissa Honeycutt! This is what I’m curious about but definitely too scared to read. I found out about that series on your blog( of course!), I’ve got it on my Kindle but still, I’m too afraid to go there…

Maryse: OMG YES!!!! That one is on my scaredy-cat list, too. The reviews seem amazing, but the things I’ve been hearing, and the shocking scenes, and some of my fellow reader’s reactions… well. All of it. I don’t think I can.

Amber: I wish I had never read Unseen Messages. I wish someone had warned me. I was depressed for days I’ve never seen the movie titanic-I know how it ends

Barbara: I finished reading the The Black Lotus Series I don’t think I can read more of this subject, and some point it was too graphic, too much I had to Take some breaks the whole series is !!!! The writing Was good !!!

Carina: Unlit Star Trust me. Cried for days after. Such a beautiful book.

Forbidden has stayed with me even 2yrs after reading it, ive never been so conflicted. It says alot about the author that I started out feeling one way about this taboo story and ended up feeling the total opposite!

Screw it! Me Before You, After You (not amazing like MBY but still a wonderful followup), Mud Vein (5 love/hate stars for me), Forbidden, Arsen, Thoughtless, How to Kill a Rock Star, Bright Side…all of those were EPIC. Carnage…I was emotionally drained, but not in the way I like. A Thousand Boy Kisses was good but didn’t affect me like it did everyone else. *scratches head* Maybe I’m broken right now?

And you know what? In addition to the ones I just listed, I have every single book up there sitting in my library waiting to be read. Every. Single. One. I am so at home here.

I loved Carnage! I was kinda mad when the Author published the second book lol. I read it and it was good but I thought Carnage was better. I recommended it and the messages I got were hysterical! What’s really funny is I’ve owned How to Kill a Rock Star for a few years and that’s the book I’m scared of even though I’ve read every book mentioned above except two. Taking Chances by Molly McAdams took forever for me to finally read. I loved it and made my daughter read it. I will never forget the day she read it….she was so mad at me. That’s our thing though I recommend books to her and she doesn’t read the synopsis so she never sees it coming! Great post, Maryse!

Being the weak hearted quivering ball of nerves that I am….I usually avoid anything Amy and Maryse are getting all excited about.
But Im surprised how many of these Ive read and loved..
HtKaRS, Bronze Horseman (please read it Bev), Making Faces, Arsen, Thoughtless and Fault in Our Stars.
Oh….and Brightside, but that one did a number on me! DNF at about 70% cos I couldn’t take it.
Maybe Im not as pathetically scared as I thought *shrugs*

I’ve stayed away from Forbidden because I saw a spoiler that ruined it for me. But the book that scares me most is Brightside!!! I want to read it, I can’t read it, I’m scared to read it….. It’s a constant cycle!

Amy gave me the final nudge to read Me Before You and I was so happy I did! Loved it!

I’m with Bev!!! This is basically a “which books NOT to read” list for me. I cannot do death, dying or overly depressing stories and I absolutley NEED a HEA. However, I do like “cheating” books (that sounds awful I know) and Thoughtless is my all time fave. I too have had Bronze Horseman on my TBR forever and haven’t had guts to read it yet.

Maryse, you should totally read TAMPA! For those who have kids, it might be cringe-worthy, but it’s worth the experience being in the head of a pedophile. For me, I was fascinated! Mind you, I rated it 2.5 stars on Goodreads only because at the 70% mark the protagonist did something completely unforgivable in my eyes. It pissed me off royally, and I rated the book poorly because of that one incident. That said, I will be going back to upgrade my rating because TAMPA has turned out to be one of those reads that NEVER leaves my mind! Even though it’s been quite a while since I read it, I find myself thinking about it all the time. And that, in my honest opinion, is what makes a good book.

Also, have you read LITTLE PEACH???? That short but impacting little book WRECKED me like no other book has before. I thought about it for MONTHS. It’s one of my top three reads of last year!

“Taking chances” by Molly Macadams was the book that I will never forget. I cried for days after. My husband wanted to take away my iPad if I wouldn’t stop crying!
I read the sequel to it “Stealing Harper”, and it was as bad. Very sad books.
I read some of the above books that some of you mentioned, Me before you, Arsen, etc but nothing made sad as this two.
I would recommend it to anyone that has not read it yet.

Is it my birthday? Because this list is one heck of a present! I have been wanting to read Forbidden for a while now but I couldn’t remember the name. This, Tampa and The Empty Jar are going on my Kindle ASAP! It’s angsty day for me!

But being bad is sooooo fun, Maryse! Tell me you, too, get a cheap thrill when someone reads one of our “freak out” books and they freak out as well?!? Or maybe I’m just demented a little like that… Nah, it’s just great to have someone empathize with us over those books.

Taking Chances and Stealing Harper…I’m so with you guys there. Hurt me badly, those two. Especially Stealing Harper. To be in HIS head? At *that* part? GAH!!

Oh Jean…you KNOW part of this list (the part with the books I’ve read) has my name all over it!

ALL of you who still haven’t read Forbidden, Bright Side, or Me Before You because you are scared…seriously, READ THEM!!! They will stay with you.

Exceptions: Anyone who may have a trigger with the taboo issue in Forbidden (it’s been mentioned by one of our friends here…won’t say who without their permission). And Jean because she had the ending spoiled. That just ruins the whole dang book.

Oh, and then you have to watch the trailers (plural!!) for the MBY movie…but only AFTER reading the book for the biggest impact.

Wow Anne! You finished that first book fast! I’m impressed! Yes Fabi, Anna is quite special.

Michelle, I would be more than happy to read Brightside with you…..I think we’ll need the support. Let me know when you are ready! Amy did get me to read MBY and she’s really never steered me wrong. I’m just finishing up When You Make It Home and then was going for Undecided, but I could definitely squirrel!

Lan…think of Gus as Bright Side in reverse, if that makes any sense. I couldn’t have read Gus right after BS though because…well, you know why. Trying to avoid spoilers here.

Gus starts off kicking the sh!t out of your heart but ends in the most wonderful, relief-filled place. And I have the perfect songs for both books. Both songs still give me a lump in my throat whenever they pop up on my playlist. GAH!

About Me

I am happily addicted to reading but I need to expend my book energy (especially when one puts me in an emotional frenzy - SO fun!). So, I release my feelings about the stories, by writing them down here. It's my book therapy. [ read more ]